After an exhausting weekend-long Witness World Wide live stream during which she meditated, apologized for cultural appropriation, slept, talked about her bouts of depression and hosted dinner parties, Katy Perry wrapped up the 96-hour Witness marathon on Monday morning (June 12) by dropping by Today to once and for all put a pin in her beef with Taylor Swift.
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“I don’t know. I can only do me,” was Perry’s succinct response to Natalie Morales’ question about how the singer felt when she learned Swift had announced the release of her entire back catalog on Spotify on the same day that Katy’s Witness dropped. If it makes her feel better, Witness is headed to a No. 1 debut, and a source told Billboard the timing of Swift’s return had nothing to do with Perry’s album release.
Perry has been very open over the past few weeks when it comes to dissecting the alleged squabble she had with Swift over some shared back-up dancers. And while Katy has repeatedly said she’s ready to settle things and have the two women come together, Monday morning’s comments made it clear that she’s moving on whether Swift will make amends or not.
“No, it’s not about anyone in particular,” Perry said of the Nicki Minaj-asissted “Swish Swish,” which a number of fans have seen as a not-so-veiled swipe at Swift. “I’ve had not just one person bully me or one person hold me down or met one troll. All I need to say to [Taylor Swift] is I love her and God bless her on her journey.”
Perry took Morales on a tour of the Big Brother-style house and they talked about the emotional therapy session in which Katy revealed that her new short-hair look is, in part, about letting go of her old self. “For a long time I didn’t feel like old Katheryn Hudson from Santa Barbara was anything special,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I was enough. I had to create this character of myself. And she’s done really well!”
She also explained that the suicidal thoughts she revealed weren’t just a one time thing where she felt low, but a less definable series of moments. “I have my own addictions that I struggle with, whether that’s love or substance or things like that,” she said. “It’s up and down — even just attention. I get so much attention and that can become addiction.”
One of the funniest moments came when Morales asked about the “sexual liberation” anthem “Bon Appétit,” and how Perry’s devout Christian parents reacted to the song’s lascivious message. “My parents are great and I love them so much,” she said tearing up. “They don’t agree with some of the things I do and they do wish that I could do other things. And I just have to say, ‘You are your own person, I am my own person, and my intentions are pure.’”